If you’re planning on going on a road trip or a vacation that involves a lot of driving, it’s important that you stay safe while touring.
That means ensuring you keep your eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel at all times, but there are plenty of other things you need to do to ensure you stay safe on the road.
Perform a Vehicle Safety Check Before You Leave Home
First off, before you embark on your journey, you must perform a general safety check of your vehicle or get a mechanic to inspect it to make sure your vehicle is in good working order.
The last thing you want while touring is to break down; especially if you’re planning on heading out to rural areas.
By performing a vehicle safety check, you can also reduce the risk of getting involved in an accident.
You should check things like your tires, battery, coolant, oil level, radiator, and lights.
Learn more about the car maintenance skills every woman should have in this insightful post.
Pack an Emergency Kit
It’s also important that you take an emergency kit with you, in case you are involved in a breakdown or accident.
You should have things like a flashlight, a first aid kit, jumper cables, a jack, a tire press gauge, and basic repair tools. Ensure you have a spare tire with you, too.
Also, make sure you have plenty of water and snacks with you, just in case you end up being stranded for a while.
Don’t Drive While Distracted
When it comes to actual driving, you need to follow all of the rules of the road that you normally would. But you need to pay even more attention than you usually would because you’ll be driving on unfamiliar roads.
For instance, ensure you don’t drive while distracted. That includes not using your cell phone, not doing your makeup, and not eating snacks while driving.
Don’t underestimate how important this is. After all, in the U.S. alone in 2018, there were 2,841 fatalities due to distracted driving.
Check out these distracted driving statistics to find out just how dangerous and damaging driving while distracted can be.
Don’t Drive While Sleepy
When touring, you’re sure to be driving for long periods. In turn, that means you could get sleepy while behind the wheel.
Whether you doze off for just a second or zone out and lose focus on the road, your actions can lead to disaster. You’re much more likely to be involved in a road accident if you’re drowsy while driving.
Make sure you get enough sleep and pull over if you begin to feel tired.
It’s also a good idea to share the driving responsibility with another if you can.
Never Speed
If you’re on a strict itinerary when touring, you may be tempted to speed to get to your next stop on time. Well, don’t.
Speeding is dangerous and is one of the leading causes of road accidents, so it’s never worth putting your life and other people’s lives in danger just so you can get somewhere quicker.
Always follow the speed limit.
Be Extra Cautious in Poor Weather Conditions
When driving in unfamiliar places far from home, it’s more likely that you’ll experience poor weather conditions.
Just like you should do when driving anywhere, make sure you’re extra cautious when driving in bad weather like fog, snow, or heavy rain. You need to be exceptionally cautious when driving on icy roads.
If you find yourself driving in bad weather conditions, slow down your speed, maintain extra space between your vehicle and the one in front, and be very cautious around curves in the road.
If the weather gets worse, pull over until it’s safe to drive again.
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